Deadline: 3 May 2020
Applications are now open for the Historic England’s Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.
In this challenging and difficult time, Historic England is committed to continuing to provide their services and support to everyone as best they can; their grant schemes are an important part of this. Resilience Grants (part of their Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund) will be used to support heritage organisations which are severely affected by the impact of coronavirus (Covid-19) and which require additional short-term emergency financial support. It will also support projects and activities that respond to the current crisis and contribute to recovery in the heritage sector.
Historic England is offering emergency financial support for heritage organisations to run alongside other measures introduced by the Government and their partners in the heritage and cultural sectors. They are assessing the need and the risks for the projects and organisations they currently fund to see what is vulnerable and where their help will make the most difference. It aims is to extend the safety net as far as they can and help heritage organisations both survive the immediate challenges and prepare for recovery.
Aims
- The need for emergency revenue support grants because other Government and/or Lottery channels of support cannot be accessed within the timescale required
- Evidence that the organisation does not have sufficient reserves to cover operational costs for the next three months
- Evidence that the coronavirus crisis is the principal reason for the revenue problem
- Evidence that existing funding cannot be repurposed to mitigate risks; please talk to your Historic England project contact if you have an on-going grant or project funded by them.
- Evidence of the actions you have already taken to mitigate the emergency and minimise organisational spend
- The unique or vital capability that will be lost to the sector or public if your application for emergency revenue support is unsuccessful
- Please note: existing Historic England grant funding must only be used for the purpose intended. Historic England grants funding should not be used to cover the remaining 20 per cent of salary for furloughed staff or any additional salary costs above the furloughing cap
Funding Information
Applicants are invited to apply for grants of up to £25,000 to address financial difficulties arising from Coronavirus. Grants of up to £50,000 are also available for projects and activities that reduce risks to heritage by providing information, resources and skills.
Eligibility Criteria
This is an open call for applications. The funding will be used to support organisations that are severely affected by the impact of coronavirus and who require additional emergency financial support in addition to the support packages announced by the Government and/or Lottery channels.
They will prioritise support to organisations and projects that care for and/or work on the most significant heritage assets (Grade I and II Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, etc) or organisations that play a vital and nationally important role in supporting heritage organisations in England.
The fund will be used to support third-sector organisations and voluntary groups managing heritage projects, as well as heritage organisations and self-employed contractors who are severely affected by the impact of Coronavirus and who need additional emergency financial support beyond the Government’s measures.
To be eligible for funding, proposals must address one of the following criteria:
- Criterion 1 – Emergency Revenue Funding: We know times are difficult and for some organisations revenue support will be essential. They will consider applications for emergency revenue support from local or national heritage organisations, including privately-owned heritage attractions and heritage businesses (such as conservation specialists and suppliers of conservation materials), where other Government and/or Lottery channels of support are not applicable. Existing grant recipients should first approach them to discuss revenue under flexibility within existing grants (as a variation to these existing grants). To be considered for revenue support organisations will need to provide evidence that they do not have sufficient reserves to cover operational costs for the next three months, demonstrate that the coronavirus crisis is the principal reason for the revenue problem, and provide evidence that they have investigated other possible routes for grant funding, including other grant givers.
- Criterion 2 – Projects and Activities: which respond to the current crisis and will contribute to the recovery of the heritage sector. Times will get better and they need to ensure that the heritage sector is in the best possible position to recover. They are inviting applications from heritage organisations, self-employed contractors, third-sector organisations and voluntary groups across a range of activities. These projects might enable them to reduce risk to heritage caused by the coronavirus crisis by providing information, resources and skills that will help them understand and sustainably manage heritage assets now and in the future. They could allow them to understand the nature and degree of the additional threats to heritage as a result of the current crisis, understand which aspects of it are the most significant and most vulnerable, and develop creative ways to help them look after it. They might enable people to understand, value and enjoy the historic environment, perhaps through skills or engagement, either now during the current crisis, as they enter the recovery phase, or for future legacy. All organisations are eligible to apply.
For more information, visit https://historicengland.org.uk/coronavirus/fund/